Instruct and Forbid the Same, with Exceptions

The holy doctrine I and so many others were asked to swallow says I must do certain things that are forbidden. Confusion, right?

There's killing and stealing, love but also hate your family and friends. Good deeds get you into heaven, but no, you just have to really believe. You're responsible for your behavior, no you're not because Jesus takes that away.

Confusion brings fear, that brings hatred, that brings suffering.

For it's several thousand pages, the Good News Bible I was issued contains 18 or more commandments. Missing: A commandment to be kind to your children and any prohibition on slavery. In fact there are various instructions on how to be a good slave owner, in the eyes of God.

It seems true that the best book to read to become an atheist, is a bible. Consider the doctrine. Read Deuteronomy 22 - stoning women. THEY STILL DO THIS.

They still do this, and this shit may have been believable or followable 1,000 years ago, but Holy Shit, it's 2014. Most people believe, or respond that they then axiomatically believe that most of the rest of the world is going to hell. They also don't actually believe that, which is the problem.

There are many studies on the accuracy of polling. But instead of polling, let's use the word professing.

If a questionnaire calls you on the phone to inquire about the importance of fabric soften in your life, you will probably give a great answer that you never second guess. They pay people money to find out what you think. What you think is valued by other people.

But if on the other hand, the pollster asks you if you believe in God and consider yourself religious... your amygdala's fear response fires up. God is watching you. God is testing you. St. Peter is about to debit or credit your heavenly account according to your response. Your response is quick, without thought, "Yes, I'm a Christian" is a likely response to such a question in the United States in 2014.

This nature of this response is interesting from several points of view, and I'll see if anyone has read this far or not. The point is this: Religious believers have been tricked into being abused, and vice-versa.

Of course. Without fear of punishment or ostracism for questioning the things that don't make sense, it all goes away. Fear is the lynch pin that keeps religion rolling along. That's why early indoctrination is crucial; children are easily frightened.

That's also why websites like this are turning the tide. We are not alone and there's no reason to be afraid.

You are absolutely right. There is only one book anyone needs to read: The Bible And I'd say the vast majority of Christians that I know (though they would argue very adamantly) have not read their own scriptures... they were simply brought up with childhood stories or get cherry-picked messages fed to them by their pastors (along with the pastor's interpretations, no less) and they think they're learned.

But from Genesis 1 to the end of the new testament... it's clear how fucked up things are and how *not* omnipotent and benevolent the god(s) within are presented.

I frequent this site because of the ongoing abuse caused by religion, it's doctrine and effect.

I've mentioned on this site previously that church persists largely because it is a support group for the mentally (if not sexually) abused.

And Maxwell, I ask you to consider refraining from referring to 'the' bible, since there are dozens if not hundreds. This small point may seem trivial, but to refer to any bible as if there were only one gives these institutions undue credit. The plain and simple fact that there are so many bibles is a worthwhile point for those of us who would see this/ these organizations deemed nothing but troublesome, like some cultural appendix. The human appendix is an evolutionary remnant that can only do harm to our species.

Average household in America owns 4.3 bibles or something like that? But only 80 to 90% of Christians have actually read it.

That is some scary shit.

I think the easiest way to deconvert is to start a movement that somehow gets Christians to actually read their damned bibles. We wouldn't even need to debate them, their deconversions will just naturally happen.

They've been indoctrinated, they go with the flow. I truly believe that most pretend to believe certain things in certain company. Don't most bibles instruct individuals to be true to themselves!? (interrobang)